Update for Fermi 2 simulator

Canadian company L3 MAPPS is to update the simulator it supplied in 2006 to Fermi 2 in Michigan. The update is being carried out under a contract with Swiss industrial technology company ABB.

Fermi 2's simulator (Image: L3 MAPPS)

The work will involve the modification of the 120 kV switchyard portion of the simulator, in conjunction with associated changes to the actual switchyard itself and the ABB-supplied system that controls it. All the work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

L3 MAPPS will update the simulator's process models and provide a hardware interface that will allow the plant's simulation to communicate with a replica of the switchyard's distributed control system hardware and software.

Michael Chatlani, Vice President of Marketing & Sales for L3 MAPPS Power Systems and Simulation, said the contract was the first opportunity for the company to work directly with ABB. "This work on the simulator will help DTE Energy's operations personnel become familiar with the changing configuration on the electric grid and ensure successful plant operations for years to come," he said.

Nuclear power plant simulators are a vital piece of equipment, used to train plant operators throughout their careers. Fermi 2's simulator is co-located with the single-unit BWR plant, which has a net capacity of 1122 MWe and has been in commercial operation since January 1988. The unit supplies 20% of DTE Energy's generation and is the Detroit-based company's only source of carbon-free baseload power in Michigan.